The Portland daily press., 1887-03-05
The Bills Passed During the Second
Session.
The Congress Only Remarkable for
What IL Didn't Do.
Trotter Confirmed as Register Of
Deeds of the District of Columbia.
Especial to the Press.l

was but three months long while the first
session lasted for nearly eight months, yet
the amount of work done in the second ses-
sion was vastly in excess Of that done in the
first The summary of the work done is
briefly as follows;
Before the Holiday recess the House
passed bills as follows: A bill for the estab-
lishment of a school for instruction for cav
airy and light artillery, to extend the free
delivery system, to authorize the employ
ment of mail messengers, the electoral
count bill and the Ind iau seyeralty bill; !;
passed by the Senate at the first session, a
bill appropriating 100000 for arms for the
militia, and the bill for erecting a custom
house at Eastport, Me. The Senate before
the recess passed the bill repeating the ten
ure of Office act, the Eastport public build
ing bill, bill to redeem the trade dollar, the
House bill to extend the free delivery sys-
TEN, and authorizing the employment Of
mail messengers, and a bill incorporating
the Windsor Hotel Company of Washing
ton.
After the Holiday recess the chief bills
passed by the House were: The interstate
commerce bill, large number Of bills effect
ing the District Of Columbia, the bill Great
ing department Of agriculture, the anti
Mormon bill, the dependent pension bill,
the Mexican pension bi II, a resolution to in
vestigate the accounts of the Pacific railroad,
a bill Incorporating the Washington cable
railroad, the so-called Fourth of July claim
bill, the Chinese indemnity bill, the trade
dollar bill, the agricultural experiment sta
tion bill, and the retaliation bill. The Sem
ate passed the following: A bill granting a
pension of $1,000 year to Mrs. Logan, and
one giving the same to Gen. Blair, the inter
state commerce bill, the fishery retaliation
bill, the dependent and Mexican pension
bills, the agricultural experiment station
bill, the Beck attorney bill, the bills to in
corporate the Eads ship railway bill and the
Nicaragua Canal companies, the bill to pro-
tect mackerel during tile spawning season,
the Cameron and Hale bills to provide for
new navy and adequate coast defences, the
bill creating department of agriculture, the
resolution to investigate the account of the
Pacific railroad. and the pleuro-pneumonia
bill The most important bills which have
passed both Houses and become laws are the
following: The bill to redeem the trade
dollar, the electoral count bill, the Eastport
public building bill, the bill to extend the
free delivery system, the anti-Mormon bill,
the Mexican pension bill, the resolution to
investigate the Pacific railroad, the Fourth
of July claims bill, the Chinese in niemnity
BILL the fishery retaliation bill, the bill to es-
tablish agricultural experiment stations. the
bill creating department Of agriculture and
labor, and the bill to protect mackerel dur
ing the spawning season. The regular appro-
priation bills fer running the government
were passed as a matter of course
The President has put in his good work in
the veto line. having refused his consent to
number of private pension bills, eight public
building bills, the bill appropriating $4,000
for the distribution of seed in Texas, and the
dependent pension bills. The stupidity and
incapacity which has always characterized
the Democratic majority in the House has
been more manifest than usual at this ses-
sion. Mr. Morrison, who by virtue Of his
craftsmanship of the ways and means COM
mittee, is the leader of the House, disap-
pointed by his failure to receive a reelection.
has cared for nothing save to pass his tariff
BILL and beaten at that he has done nothing.
his power by having many of the
appropriation bills taken away from him,
has been ugly, and held the appropriation
bills left to him, back to such late day that
he very nearly prevented their passage at
all, and but for the fact that the whole
House rose in their might and sat down up
on him and his coadjutor, Mr.. Holman, this
would have resulted. The Democratic ma
jority of 40 divided among themselves, have
been almost powerless to accomplish any
thing, but have served chiefly to obstruct
desirable legislation and to prevent the ac-
complishment of much that should have
been done.
This is their record for the XLIX Con-
gress, They have failed utterly to redeem
their promise to revise the tariff, they have
failed to do an, thing to reduce the surplus
about which they. made such cry in the
last campaign, they have failed to abolish
the internal revenue tax, and to reduce the
tax on sugar. They have refused to provide
for the navy and for coast defences. They
have failed to pass a fertilization bill for two
years. They have allowed the Blair educa-
tion bill, the passage of which was demand
ed by over ten million citizens in a petition
to Congress, to die unacted upon on the cal
endar.
In short to say what they have to do
would fill a volume. And what have they
done? They have passed some important
tant bills like the electoral count bill, the
presidential succession bill, the Interstate
commerce bill, and the anti-Mormon bill,
but every one Of those mentioned and all but
one or two Of the whole number originated
in the Senate, and were only put through the
House by the most determined and arduous
labor ON the part Of the Republican minori-
ty. Indeed it may be truthfully said that
every important measure passed by the
XIX Congress was of Republican origin.
1t will not be recorded in history as a hard
working Congress.
Postmaster Commissioned.
Flavues ]. Ames has been commissioned
postmaster at Seaward. Me.
Trotter Confirmed.
The Senate gave the Democrats of the
District parting blessing by confirming
surprise to everyone, for his rejection was
universally expected. His nomination was
adversely reported from the Committee OF
the District of Columbia for the same reason
that Matthews was, because he is not resi-
dent of the District, but whoever supposed
the Senate would be consistent were unde-
ceived. Messrs. Blackburn and ingalls, made
speeches iu which they declared that it was
an insult to the people of the District and an
attempt to bulldoze the Senate for the Presi
dent to send in nomination quite as objec.
tionable as that which had been twice re
jected. Senator Harris defended the righ
of the President to appoint whom he pleased
and Senators Hoar and Dawes made speech
es commencing the character and ability o.
the nominee. The debate was brief, LASTING
not more than % or 30 minutes. The vote OF
the confirmation of Trotter was, yeas, 80
nays, IL.
Pensions Granted.
Pensions have been granted to the follow
ina Maine people:
Ralph O. Stephenson, original, Kittery Depot
John l.. Perry, original, Togus.
James Z. Fallon. original, Martnsville.
Edward Overlook, deceased, increase, Soutl
| Liberty.
Daniel Allen, reissue, Portland.
Henry B. Forbes reissue, Newport
Josiah Q. Beal, reissue, Phillips.
Last Moments in the House.
The clock was turned back twice afte
| 11.45 in the House, and it was nearly tel
minutes after II by the correct time whel
| Private Secretary Pruden appeared with tn